The Closet
by Celeste38
Summary: Post-TS2, Pre-TS3. Andy's afraid, and Woody wonders why. In the process he and the other toys discover something far more frightening than they could have ever imagined...


**This is just a one-shot that popped in my head, I'm honestly surprised no one has done this yet (I just checked the crossover section to see if anyone had tried). I hope everyone enjoys this. Oh, and in case you haven't done so yet…everyone MUST see Toy Story 3, it was amazing and a fantastic conclusion to the movie series!**

* * *

"What was that?"

Woody subtly glanced around the darkened bedroom after hearing Andy's frightened whisper. Trying to seek out the source of the noise the two of them had just heard, without revealing himself to the kid. He suspected; frowning slightly with mild annoyance, that one of the other toys had been moving around carelessly, unaware that their owner was still awake.

"_Bedtime's at eight, no one's supposed to wander around, we've been over this a million times!"_ The doll thought irritably, "_I guess another 'staff meeting' is in order tomorrow morning during breakfast._" He waited, listening for any further disruptions. Satisfied when all seemed well again, the sheriff reluctantly allowed his eyes to droop shut. Only to be startled awake once more by Andy's panicked breathing and the return of the unknown sound.

There was no mistaking it; the familiar jingle of a twisting doorknob could clearly be heard.

Buzz peeked out of the toy box, opening its lid just a crack and successfully doing so without drawing the boy's attention, curious over which of the other two household members was opening the bedroom door. Andy's mother was usually in bed by 11, and it was a little past midnight now. Maybe Molly had a nightmare, and was seeking her older brother's comfort? The space ranger squinted at the faint glow of the hall night-light shining underneath the bedroom door, and was puzzled when he noticed that there was no one there. Had whoever it was changed their mind and left?

Across the room Andy's arms tightened around Woody's soft body as he sat up hesitantly, staring at the closet door instead. The child was shivering with fear, as a creaking noise, sounding deliberately louder, was now suddenly heard. In the pale moonlight that shone through the bedroom window, casting frightening shadows across the room, everyone could clearly see the closet door slowly creeping open. A large and unfamiliar shadow stood inside the blackness; its sinister eyes immediately shifting towards the bed.

From his hiding spot underneath the dresser, Bullseye whimpered and hid his face behind his two front hooves. Longing for the comforting coos and whispers he was used to getting from Jessie whenever he was frightened or upset. The cowgirl herself stifled a gasp at the sight of the monster as she peeked out of the toy box, grabbing at Buzz's free hand by her side without thought or hesitation. "What in tarnation…?"

A nasty chuckle resonated in the air as the creature slinked out of closet, quickly slithered across the room, and stood, towering, over the Andy's shaking form. More than one pair of eyes widened at the sight, and the monster seemed to relish in the young boy's growing fear. Giving Andy a sinister grin and baring his teeth, as he raised his four purple, scaly arms up cautiously. There was a large, cloth bag gripped tightly in one of his hands. "No screaming, you brat…"

The boy simply stared at the lizard-like monster, a whimper escaping his lips as he quickly looked at the bedroom door. Inwardly pleading for his mother to peek in on him, and banish his frightening visitor. Would he be able to make it across the room, and to the safety of his mother's bedroom, if he made a run for it?

He didn't get the chance to think it over…

Without warning, and much to the horror of all the toys, the monster lunged forward in attack. Grabbing Andy's pillow out from under the kid's head, he roughly pressed it over the boy's face to muffle his screams and shouts of terror. A twisted smirk of amusement came to the beast's face at the sight of the child's thrashing form. "I'm not taking this off until you shut up, kid." The monster threateningly hissed, pressing down a little harder to prove his point. "Come with me quietly, and everything will be just fine…"

He didn't sound remotely sincere.

Woody's heart was pounding as he tumbled out of Andy's grip, getting caught up in the bedcovers as the child struggled, and tried to make sense of what was happening around him. Was this some sort of nightmare? He had experienced some pretty terrifying, vivid ones in the past, but this? This was a different breed of terror. And as the boy's thrashing began to weakly subside, the cowboy realized with growing horror that it wasn't a dream. "_No…_" It was real, oh so viciously real.

"This isn't really happening, is it?" Rex asked in a panic from his spot in the cramped toy box, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene as he wrung his tiny hands with worry. He quickly pinched himself in the arm to try to wake up, only to be flooded with disappointment. "Ohhh, what do we do?"

Many of the others in the medium-sized chest shared his fright and anxiety, and every single one of them was whispering in panicked tones. The wooden box was shaking slightly, unnoticed by the larger occupants of the room; the mass hysteria was spreading. What was happening right now was simply unheard of.

Buzz stared on, horrified by what he was seeing and feeling helpless to stop it. His usual confidence was lost to him. What could they do? They were only toys; they didn't have the power to do anything. His eyes remained wide with terror as they flickered towards his best friend. Seeing the fear and uncertainty he was experiencing mirrored in the cowboy's face, as he felt Jessie's grip on his arm tighten even more.

"_No, not Andy…_NO!" Woody's eyes shifted from fear, to anger and determination as he threw all caution to the wind. Letting his emotions take over. He was awake, Andy was being hurt, and he sure as heck wasn't going to just lay there and watch it happen. Not to his kid! With an angry grunt, the doll quickly began wiggling his way out of the sheets that had twisted around his torso and legs. Glaring at the beast towering over the bed, who had let go of the pillow and was lifting the unconscious child up by the collar of his shirt. The cowboy could feel the adrenaline rush beginning to rapidly sweep over him.

"Leave him alone, you creep!" Yelled Woody; successfully getting up, rushing forward faster than anyone could think, and biting down on one of the monster's hands as hard as he possibly could. Causing the creature to release its hold the young boy, and utter a yelp of surprise as it staggered backward in pain. The doll was positive that he heard a collected gasp from the other toys in the room as he had made his move; after all, he was breaking the rules. He didn't care though, and he hoped they didn't either. He had revealed himself to save a friend before, and he had no problem with doing so again to protect the child he loved.

"What is he doing, is he nuts?" Mr. Potato Head practically shouted from his corner of the toy box, amazed. He almost fell over as all the toys underneath him tried to squirm their way to the top of the box and get a look for themselves. "What if Andy sees him? He's breaking his own biggest rule!"

While the others inside the cramped space whispered with surprise and excitement, Buzz merely watched on with confusion painted on his face. What was Woody thinking? The space ranger thought back a couple of years, when the two of them had put their differences aside and became the close friends that they were now, and smiled at the memory. Recalling all too well their ordeal with a little boy named Sid…there were exceptions to the rules.

"Buzz?" Jessie whispered, catching the glint in her friend's eye.

The action figure closed the lid, the green plastic on his body lighting up the enclosed space, and he turned to the others. Sparing the cowgirl a comforting glance before addressing them all; he defiantly had a plan. "Gather around everyone, and listen up…"

Woody, meanwhile, continued staring at the monster towering over him, whose expression had morphed from shock to hateful anger, and tried not to show his fear. Leaping and dodging to avoid the creature's many hands as they reached down to swipe at him. He had spooked the living daylights out of the most terrifying humans he had ever laid eyes on once; he now found himself wondering if he could pull it off again. Glancing momentarily over at the toy box, while avoiding another grab from the angered monster, the cowboy doll hoped that Buzz had caught on and was explaining to the others what he had done to Sid. He could only pray that they followed his lead, because this wasn't going to work without their help. "If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around right now and go back to wherever it is you came from."

The beast blinked, pausing in his attempts to catch the doll and slowly allowing the threat to process in his mind, before laughing at the absurdity of it. "This is some sort of joke, right?"

"CHARGE!"

Both Woody and the monster's heads turned at the sound of the commanding shout, only to see the unbelievable sight of every toy in the room running toward the bed. Some carrying pencils and any other pointed plastic accessory they could find to use as weapons. Their game faces were all firmly plastered on, it was clear they meant business! The strange creature let out a yelp of surprise as a cluster of army men began to climb up his legs, whipping his tail around sharply to try and keep as many of the plastic figures away. Frustrated when he realized that keeping the playthings at bay wasn't as easy as it looked, as the effort he was making to defend himself was proving to be futile. The beast was completely clueless of the devious look a certain piggy-bank was giving him as he stumbled backward, unwittingly positioning himself underneath the high shelf that was hanging on the wall.

"Cannonballll!" Hamm shouted from his perch, putting all his weight into the fall after he leaped into the air. The pig snickered as he bounced, hard, off the monster's head. Cart wheeling like an expert, and landing, with surprising grace, onto the soft cushions of the bed. Laughing as he turned to observe the results of his attack. "I've wanted to do that to someone for years! Yipes!-"

Bullseye and Rex came out from their respective hiding spots, both watching as their port-bellied friend leaped off the bed to avoid being hit by one of the other toys that had been flung in his direction. Meeting each other halfway, the two of them silently watched the chaos going on at the center of the room. Both of them wanted a piece of the action, but were too timid to try.

"Out of the way you two scaredy-cats!" Mr. Potato Head snapped as he ran past them to see if the toy that Hamm had avoided, who had bounced off the bed and had fallen into the clothes hamper, needed any help getting out. Shouting words of advice over his shoulder as he went. "Help out or go back into the toy box!"

The dinosaur glanced over at his four-legged companion, feeling a newfound confidence wash over him when he saw the hopeful look that the horse was giving him. "You really think I can do this?"

The animal neighed in support, starting to think of their situation as more of a game, and recklessly charged into the fray. A smile bloomed onto Rex's face as he allowed his excitement to chase away his fears. After all, it wasn't everyday they got to do something like this. Tonight was his golden opportunity to be the terror that his real-life predecessors had been. "Be afraid you scaly creep, be very afraid…RAWR!"

As Rex charged forward, and Hamm made another bomb-dive into the beast's stomach, Mr. Potato Head took off his mouth and threw it at his foe. Smirking when it landed on the monster's shoulder, he took a deep breath and unleashed his bottled-up comments at full force into the beast's ear. Mrs. Potato Head cheered her husband on by his side, as their adopted alien children 'Ohhh-ed' and 'Aweee-ed' next to her. Jessie and Buzz on the other hand, teamed up and snatched Andy's old jump rope that had been discarded underneath the dresser. The two of them sprinted around the monster's legs, tying him up, and then high-fived enthusiastically when he toppled to the floor. Sharing a look of amusement, and of something else, before Bullseye ran over and butted his mistress playfully.

"Way to go guys…" Woody whispered with a proud smile as he watched many of his comrades fearlessly climb onto, and begin mercilessly hitting, the stunned monster. He crossed his arms in an authoritative manner as he watched Rex roar at their captured foe, allowing a small smirk flicker onto his face. No one messed with his kid and got away with it. "_Wait…Andy!_"

It suddenly dawned on rag doll that he hadn't seen the child stir after intervening, and he turned to look over his shoulder with new fear washing over him. The boy remained motionless on the bed. Without hesitation the cowboy ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the child's side. His eyes swept over Andy's body for any sign of injury, before he gently shook him by the shoulder. Too caught up in his worry to think about what he was doing. "Andy! Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…"

His pounding heart calmed down a little when he noticed that Andy's chest was rising and falling steadily, and that nothing appeared to be broken. The boy was fine after all, much to the toy's relief; he had simply blacked out from the terror and lack of oxygen. Woody and the others had acted in time. Although; as the cowboy recalled the monster's earlier remarks, perhaps there was never intent to kill. Maybe, the creature would have stopped as soon as it realized the boy had passed out. "_What does that thing want him for anyway?_" It didn't matter now; all Woody cared about was that Andy was safe and unharmed.

"Uuuuooohhh…"

For the second time that night the rag doll found himself frozen, this time like a deer caught in the headlights, as Andy's eyes opened and drank in the sight of the toy kneeling by his side. Staring at him with growing confusion and awe, speechless, while Woody himself couldn't think to do anything but the same. He never imagined he'd ever be staring his owner in the face like this, exposing his secret to the child.

"W-Woody?" Andy whispered, unsure of his own sanity as he studied the doll. He was fascinated by the sight of his favorite toy moving around without any assistance, breathing and blinking like an actual person. The kid was so enthralled that he hardly noticed the almost-amusing chaos taking place at the center of his room, where the rest of his toys were waging war with their fearsome tied up prisoner. He only had eyes for his most cherished cowboy doll. "Am I dreaming?"

The toy in question couldn't bring himself to answer right away; all he could do was stare in wonder at those innocent eyes watching him. How many times had this scenario, where he revealed himself to the child, danced around in his head? "_Too many to count…_" He had wanted to speak, face to face without secrecy, to his boy for years, but knew it was impossible. And now that it was actually happening, and in the most bizarre of circumstances, he couldn't think of anything to say…well, anything besides the one thing he _didn't_ want to tell the kid. "Andy..."

"Watch it, fellas!" Hamm shouted in warning, after getting back up to his perch on the high self and looking down at the room below. "He's making a break for it!"

Many of the toys were flung aside and scattered as the monster found renewed strength, struggling his way out of his bonds. He still bore a look of disbelief as he lashed out again, knocking Jessie, Rex, and Buzz across the room in the process, and then made a grab for the cloth bag he had brought with him. Tossing the empty sack into the closet's open doorway with frustration and flicking off the last of the small toys that had managed to climb onto him. "This isn't worth it…it really isn't…"

Snake-like eyes locked onto the two figures that were on the bed, and the creature snarled involuntarily. He couldn't accept that he had been bested by a measly rag doll, and he sure as hell wasn't going to leave without having the small satisfaction of revenge. "You ruined my night, you little pest!"

Andy, not realizing who the monster was speaking to, shrank back in fear once more as the creature lunged forward. Confused, and then feeling a new kind of horror sweep over him when the beast snatched the stunned cowboy doll off the bed. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Have a nice night, pal." The monster sneered at Woody's struggling form in his clawed hands, as he slowly dragged an extra-sharp talon down the length of the doll's chest. Tearing through the fabric with sickening ease, and earning an agonizing scream from his victim as the doll stopped trying to free himself. The cowboy mindlessly grabbed at the rip in his torso and tried to keep it shut in his clenched fingers, as if doing so would stop the pain. Fighting off the blackness that threatened to engulf him and trying to prevent his insides from spilling out onto the floor below, he barely heard Andy's screams of protest over his own moans of pain.

Mrs. Davis stirred in her bed downstairs at the sound of her son's crying, while the monster took that as his cue to leave. Heartlessly letting Woody slip out of his clutches, and dashing through the closet in escape. Swearing to himself as he heard the door close behind him that he would target a younger child for his experiments. A kid that wouldn't have so many plastic toys who could retaliate against him, "_I'll have Fungus mark this kid's door as dangerous, and then get him to look for a new one. Maybe that little brat Mary is the right one for the job?_"

"Woody! Oh, no, Woody…" Andy sobbed, either oblivious of the monster's departure, or simply not caring that his tormentor was gone for good. The only thing on the young boy's mind was his favorite toy, and he scrambled off his bed to pick up the doll up off the floor. Breathing heavily with panic when he saw the slash up close, unsure of what to do as he automatically climbed back into bed and leaned against the small headboard. "How I could I let this happened to you?"

"It's alright; Andy…this…this is a dream." Woody reassured his owner as he was placed gently onto the mattress, still clutching shut the tear that ran down his chest. Preventing the stuffing from spilling out while keeping a calm and pain-free expression on his face, he didn't want to upset the boy. "None of this is real, kiddo. It's just another creation of that powerful imagination you've got."

"But, Woody…"

The rag doll slowly reached down and picked his hat off of the mess of blankets that lay beneath his feet, placing it firmly back onto his head with one hand. Never taking his eyes off the young boy's, never letting his weakness show. He gave the child a warm and reassuring smile, and grabbed at a handful of the blankets. Pulling them towards Andy's chest as he softly told the boy to lie down. Tucking him in, just like he'd always dreamed of doing. "You remember what your mother used to tell you to do if you were having a bad dream?"

Andy nodded, "Yeah…but what if I don't want to wake up? What if I don't want this to be a dream anymore?"

Woody's smile faltered a little, he knew exactly how the kid felt. Despite how scary the events leading up to it had been, and the searing pain he was suffering from now…he was enjoying the small moment he was sharing with the boy, and hated that it had to end. "You've got to…"

The two stared at each other in silence, savoring the experience for as long as they could. They both knew this opportunity would never resurface.

Jessie walked to Buzz's side, once again holding his arm tight as they both watched the scene unfold. The cowgirl's eyes misted over, feeling both happy and sad for the rag doll she thought of like a brother. While the space ranger kept his attention fixed more on his best friend, worried by the way Woody was acting. He could tell the cowboy was putting on a false air of being alright, and was afraid to see how badly hurt his friend really was. The rest of the toys, hearing the familiar sound of Andy's mother coming up the stairs, quickly got back into their original places. Anxious as they watched their leader, who still hadn't moved from his spot next to the child.

"Woody." Buzz whispered, quickly approaching the bed as Jessie turned and ran back to the safety of the toy box. "Time's almost up!"

The cowboy heard his friend's quiet warning, but didn't budge. He continued staring at his young owner, and felt like his life was flashing before his eyes. He could remember it all. Being bought by a teenager in the early 70s as a present for a younger brother; only to be left unopened when the child died in an accident before his birthday arrived. Remaining in the box for the next ten or so years, kept by the young man who had bought him, but never being opened up and played with. Left alone and trapped, only catching glimmers of the world around him whenever the man moved to a new home. And then, the beginning of his life, being given to the man's infant son, who had been named after the brother he lost. Being given to Andy...

The doll's eyes brimmed with tears as he gazed down at his owner, and he gently brushed the hair out of the boy's eyes. Kissing him on the forehead and then slowly backing away, stopping when he reached the edge of the bed. "I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too, Woody…" Andy whispered as he watched his favorite toy, accepting the fact that his dream would have to end after all, even if he didn't want it to. He hadn't heard his mother, who was down the hall looking in on Molly, coming up the stairs like his playthings had. "Will you be alright when I wake up?"

"I'll be fine." The cowboy insisted, hoping the child didn't notice the tremble in his legs. "Now close your eyes, and count to ten…"

As soon as the boy's eyes hesitantly closed, and he snuggled into the blankets, Woody's eyes fluttered shut and he tumbled backward off the bed. Landing limply; face-down, onto Bullseye's back as the horse leaped through the air to catch him. A tired sigh escaped the cowboy as he succumbed to his exhaustion, while the animal beneath him ran towards the safety of the toy box.

The awkward horse increased his speed when he saw the space ranger urging him to hurry up, and nearly crashed into Buzz when he came to a stop. Watching as the action figure gently helped Woody off, and draped the doll's loose arm over his shoulder. They quickly climbed up the unstable backpack that was leaning against the chest, scrambling into the wooden box just in time. Missing being caught by Andy's mother, who opened the bedroom door just as Buzz closed the lid shut. Breathing nervously, as his suit once again dimly lit up the enclosed space.

All the toys remained still, listening to what was going on in the room outside.

"Andy, are you okay sweetie? I thought I heard some noise up here."

The child bolted upright in his bed, looking at his mother for a moment before searching through his blankets. He couldn't find Woody. "Mom, it was horrible…"

Mrs. Davis softly walked towards the bed and gave her son a comforting hug as he sobbed into her shoulder. Nodding sympathetically as he cried, knowing that his favorite toy being missing made it even worse. The woman knew it would take some convincing to get her son to go back to sleep, especially without his best friend, and was grateful that he didn't have school the next day. "Why don't you and I go downstairs and have some tea to help you relax. Would you be willing to tell me what happened in your dream then?"

Andy's sniffed a little, fumbling with the blankets again hopelessly, before nodding his head in reply. Slowly getting out of the covers and joining his mother, his arms wrapped around her middle as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Partially-closing the door behind them as they left, leaving the room empty once more.

"I think they're gone…" Rex whispered, daring a look into the room. He closed the lid again, just as quietly as he had opened it, and glanced at the group huddled at the center of the box. The hushed silence around him increased his unease as he hesitantly made his way towards them, distraught by what he was seeing.

Buzz had gently lowered his best friend into Jessie's waiting arms. Staring at the unconscious doll as the cowgirl tried to make the other toy as comfortable as possible on her pillow-soft lap. It was taking everything she had to hold back her tears as she observed how broken the other doll seemed to be, and with sisterly affection she comfortingly ran the back of her hand against the cowboy's cheek. Remembering all that they had been through together, and all of the potential adventures she had dreamed of having with him. Hating how lifeless the sheriff felt in her arms, she tore her eyes away and stared back up into the space ranger's face. Her lips were quivering. "How are we gonna fix him?"

The action figure remained as silent as the others around them as his eyes reluctantly trailed away from Jessie's face, and turned to the nasty tear going down Woody's chest instead. He noticed after a moment that the doll's left hand was still loosely clenching his wound shut, despite the fact that he had long ago slipped into unconsciousness. Buzz's brow knotted as his frown deepened, and he knelt down beside the two westerners. Hesitantly placing his hand over Woody's clenched one, as he debated over what to do. They needed to see how bad it was, in order to determine if their leader could be saved…but would it be beyond fixing?

"Sarge, you in here?" Buzz asked, his hand still resting over his friend's. After a moment or two, the head army man pushed his way through the crowd. He entered the clustered group and looked sorrowfully at the cowboy, before meeting the action figure's gaze and saluting him. Out of habit, the space ranger saluted back. "At ease, soldier."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"I need you to go on a mission to Molly's bedroom." He instructed, turning his attention back onto his friend's serious wound. "I need you to extract Barbie, and bring her here. We're going to need her help."

"Hey!" Mr. Potato Head piped up defensively, knowing why they were asking for the doll in question. "My wife can sew perfectly fine, so why are you asking what's-her-name to come over here?"

"Sweetie," Mrs. Potato Head said softly, taking her husband's arm with a look of gratitude on her face. "I'm good…but I don't think I'm good enough to do what needs to be done to help Woody." The injury was far too severe and the spud knew she didn't have the skill to mend it up, especially if they wanted the new stitching to go unnoticed by Andy and his mother. She looked at Buzz, trusting his judgment. "If they think she's the woman for the job, then I'm not going to argue with them."

"Is the mission still a 'Go' then, sir?" The small green figurine questioned, awaiting the final order from their acting-leader.

"Yes, it's still a 'Go'." The space ranger said somberly, "Please hurry."

"Like my life depended on it, sir!"

Rex lifted the lid off the toy box for the army soldier, and watched as the small figurine hopped quickly across the bedroom and cautiously out the open door. The toys continued to remain silent. Some staring at the broken body of their leader, others standing alongside the dinosaur and watching for the help they were expecting to come. Mr. Potato Head comforted his now sobbing wife, as he tried not to let his own worry and glistening tears show. Bullseye whimpered as he lay down next to Jessie, helping her support their friend's weight. While Buzz wiped a tear away from Jessie's cheek with his free hand, reflecting over his friendship with the cowboy as he returned his gaze to him.

"They're coming back!" Rex declared, "Slinky's with them too."

Buzz was glad to hear that the Sergeant had been compassionate enough to seek out their friend, who had been left in Molly's room after playtime by mistake, and had let him know what had happened. Woody deserved to have all his friends by his side when he needed them the most. "Rex, let Hamm know the situation and see if he can come here too. I don't think Andy's going to be back anytime soon, and I doubt he'll notice if any of us are missing considering how tired he ought to be right now."

The dinosaur nodded in understanding, and lifted the lid up high to let the newcomers inside. Standing aside as Slinky rushed towards the fallen rag doll, hanging his head low with worry. Once Sarge was inside the toy box, Rex clumsily climbed out and sought out the pig, who he knew would want to be there for the operation.

"How bad is it?" Barbie asked as she approached with her sewing supplies, tucked neatly away inside an old coin purse that had once belonged to Andy's mother. She drew back a breath when she caught sight of her patient, and was soon kneeling beside him. Gently pushing Slinky aside, who took his place next to Bullseye and silently offered reassurance to the mute horse. "You're stronger than I am, Buzz. Would you please carefully remove his hand from the gash; I need to know how bad it is. I also need to see if his voice box was damaged from the blow…not that I'd be able to do anything about that if it is, but maybe someone here is tech-savvy enough to give it a try."

Buzz nodded, and took a nervous breath. Gripping Woody's hand a little tighter, he cautiously loosened the doll's grip on the ripped fabric. Pulling the bare hand away gently, gasping along with the others when the cloth bloomed open like a flower and the stuffing inside erupted from the wound. It was bad, worse than any of them dared to imagine. Panicking, the action figure rushed forward and tried to get the fluffy-white cotton back into his friend's chest. Only to be stopped by Jessie, whose eyes were glistening once more.

"Let her do her work." She stammered, forcing herself to look at the horrific injury. "She's gotta see if his box is broken too…Oh, please don't let it be busted. Woody'll be devastated if it doesn't work anymore, that's the only way he can talk to Andy…"

"Sarge, could you get out that flashlight from my purse and hold it over his chest for me?" Barbie asked politely, completely focused on her work. "No offense, Buzz. But your glow-in-the-dark suit isn't enough to work with here."

The space ranger understood, and held the cowgirl closer to him as they watched the blonde begin her work on their closest friend. Feeling like the nightmare was never going to end.

* * *

Woody's eyes blinked drowsily open at the sound of familiar footsteps tearing up the stairs, and he put on his play-face just in time as Andy opened the lid of the toy box. Allowing the bright sunlight to spill into the wooden chest before the boy's shadow blocked most of it out, as he leaned in with a grin of relief on his face. "There you are! I was so worried about you, partner."

Andy cautiously picked the cowboy up, untangling the rag doll from his companion's limbs, and stared hard at his favorite toy's face. Waiting, feeling a little foolish as he did so, and watching for any signs of life from the cowboy. Holding out hope that his nightmare held some small truth to it, even if he knew it was highly unlikely. The child drank in Woody's features, before gently running a finger down the doll's chest. Remembering all too clearly the horrible gash the sheriff had been given in his dream, and grateful that at least that part of it wasn't real.

"What cha doing?" A little voice asked from the doorway, distracting the young boy.

"Just looking at Woody, that's all." Andy explained as he walked over to his bed, and laid the cowboy on top of the covers. "Want me to tell you about the scary dream I had last night?"

The little girl grinned, eager to hear her brother, who always recounted the entertaining adventures of his playtime, tell her a new story. And she happily grabbed his hand as he offered it to her and led her out into the hall. Telling her about how spooky his room had looked when the terrifying monster came out of his closet. His voice fading as the two of them went down the stairs, and the bedroom resumed its custom silence. Every toy remained still for a few cautionary minutes more, just to be sure their owner was really gone, and then the little community sprang to life again.

"Hey, Woody!" Hamm yelled from his spot on the shelf, looking down at his friend. "How're you feeling pal?"

The doll in question slowly sat up, as many of the other toys in the room approached the bed to see him. Confused, he crawled weakly to the edge and looked down at the small crowd that had gathered at the base of the bed, surprised by the genuine looks of concern all of them bore. "What do you mean?...And why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Don't you remember what happened last night?" Buzz asked as he climbed out of the toy box, helping Jessie as she came out after him.

The light aching throb that Woody had noticed when he had first awoken, seemed to nag at him a little more as he ran his own hand over the stitching on his chest. Just as Andy had done when he had held the cowboy in his hands, looking as if he was reunited with a loved one he had nearly lost. Fuzzy images assaulted the sheriff at that very moment, rushing at him with no mercy. The hand grazing the fresh stitch work trembled slightly, as the doll remembered what had happened during the night. "It was real, all of it was real."

"Like Dr. Porkchop here asked…" Mr. Potato Head loudly remarked as he pushed his way to the front of the group, his cynical face softening to that of honest concern. "…how are you feeling?"

The whole group knew he wasn't asking about Woody's physical condition anymore. After all, they had all seen how impressive Barbie was with the sewing needle during the previous evening. Despite some soreness, it was clear that the cowboy was as good as new. No, the spud was asking the leader of their little family how he was emotionally. None of them could imagine what it must have been like for the doll to have been able to speak to their owner like that, only to have to convince the child that their small moments together were nothing but a dream.

Woody glanced over his shoulder, recalling the image of Andy staring at him with awe-lit eyes. Feeling a little sad as he pushed the memory aside, knowing that it would never happen again. The boy would forget the experience over time now that he believed it was a dream. "_But, he's safe…_" He reminded himself, feeling happiness and a hint of pride swell up in his chest as he also remembered the extremes everyone had all gone to in an effort to protect their owner. "I'm fine…You know, I'm really proud of all you guys. No child could ever ask for a finer group toys than the bunch I'm staring at right now."

Everyone smiled at the sheriff's words, satisfied enough with his answer, and soon shuffled off to do their own thing again. Everyone except Jessie and Buzz, both of whom watched their friend as he cautiously made his way towards the open window next to the bed, to stare out at a spot at the edge of the backyard. The cowgirl started forward, intending to climb up and comfort the other doll, when Buzz's hand gently gripped her shoulder to stop her. She turned to him, the unspoken question burning in her big bright eyes.

"Let him have his moment alone, Jess." The space ranger said softly, watching his best friend as Woody climbed out the window and leaped onto the gutter. Disappearing from sight, off to be alone and sort through his thoughts. "We'll be here for him when he comes back…let him have his moment of peace."

It took her a moment to catch her friend's meaning, but soon Jessie's eyes widened with understanding as she glanced back at the window. Her heart going out to her dear friend, as she turned and sought out Bullseye, knowing the feeble horse would want her attention.

Outside, Woody feebly slid down the gutter drain and fell into the bushes below. Waiting, and keeping a watchful eye on the backyard; weary of being spotted by Mrs. Davis or one of the children. When he was positive the coast was clear, the cowboy sprinted towards the small evergreens that lined the fence that separated the yard from the neighbors. Walking slowly, lost in his thoughts, until he came to the end of the backyard. To the familiar maple tree…where the memorial for Bo Peep lay against its trunk.

"I've missed you." He whispered after staring at the flat stone, with her staff glued on it. Remembering the day the beautiful porcelain doll had shattered, like it was yesterday. A shaky breath escaped Woody as he gave the slab of rock a melancholy smile, as he sat down and placed a hand on its warm surface. Feeling a wave of reassurance wash over him as he closed his eyes, and he started from the beginning. "You wouldn't believe what happened to me last night, Bo. I spoke to Andy…"


End file.
